Body support device and method

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a support device including a body interface layer resting against a user's body, a core adjacent the body interface layer with a plurality of independently acting micro coils surrounded by an enclosure layer, a stabilizing layer more rigid than the enclosure layer and the body interface layer, and an outer layer adjacent the stabilizing layer and which rests against an external surface such as a seat back when the device is in use. The body interface layer includes a curvilinear or parabolic profile with its inflection point toward a central region of the device and tapering toward lateral ends thereof. The body interface layer is thickest toward its intermediate portion which aligns with a central row of the spiral biasing devices, the body interface layer thinner outer intermediate regions aligning with outer spiral biasing device rows, providing for a consistently distributed pressure against the body.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A body support device comprising:
 a first lateral end and a second lateral end opposing the first lateral end; 
 a body interface layer having a first side and a second side, the first side resting against a user's body when the device is in use, body interface layer having an intermediate region including a curvilinear profile with an inflection point in the first side, a centermost portion, first and second outer intermediate regions respectively on the opposing lateral sides of the centermost portion, a thickness of the body interface layer diminishing as the curvilinear profile thereof moves from the inflection point in opposing direction toward the first and second lateral ends; and 
 a stabilizing layer having a first side and a second side; 
 a core positioned between the stabilizing layer and the body interface layer, the core including a lateral enclosure layer and a plurality of spiral biasing devices, the lateral enclosure layer having a peripheral portion and an opening, the spiral biasing devices at least partially positioned in the opening and between the intermediate region of the body interface layer and the stabilizing layer, and including a central row and at least first and second outer rows on the opposing lateral sides of the central row, the central row aligned with the centermost portion of the intermediate region of the body interface layer, and the first and second outer rows of the spiral biasing devices being respectively aligned with the first and second outer intermediate regions of the body interface layer, the curvilinear profile of the body interface layer diminishing from the inflection point opposing directions toward the first and second lateral ends at a rate such that during use in reaction to the user's body exerting a force centered at the inflection point, a combination od the resilience in the thickness of the body interface layer and the corresponding one of the central and first and second outer rows of the spiral biasing devices produces a substantially constant pressure against the user's body. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an outer layer adjacent to the second side of the stabilizing layer. 
 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 2  wherein the body interface layer, the lateral enclosure layer, and the outer layer are fabricated from material having substantially identical densities. 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3  wherein the body interface layer, the enclosure layer, and the outer layer are fabricated from memory foam and the stabilizing layer is fabricated from compressed foam. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1  wherein the body interface layer includes opposing first and second lateral regions, the intermediate region positioned between opposing first and second lateral regions and the first and second lateral regions positioned adjacent the peripheral portion of the lateral enclosure layer. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a normal axis wherein the curvilinear profile is substantially symmetric about the normal axis. 
 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of spiral biasing devices each include at least one micro coil. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of spiral biasing devices experience at least fifty percent less resilience loss than the body interface layer. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of spiral biasing devices contract and extend independently from each other during use. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1  wherein each of the body interface layer, lateral enclosure layer, stabilizing layer, and outer layer each have respective thicknesses, the thickness of the body interface layer at its thickest portion being two to three times larger than the thickness of the lateral enclosure layer, the thickness of the lateral enclosure layer being four times larger than the thickness of the stabilizing layer. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 10  where the thickness of the lateral enclosure layer is two times larger than the thickness of the outer layer. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 1  wherein the body support device includes an outer fitting configured removably wrap around the body interface layer, core, and stabilizing layer. 
     
     
       13. A body support device comprising:
 a normal axis; 
 a first lateral end and a second lateral end opposing the first lateral end; 
 a body interface layer having a first side and a second side, the first side resting against a user's body when the device is in use; 
 a core having a first side and a second side, the first side positioned adjacent the second side of the body interface layer, the core including a lateral enclosure layer and a plurality of spiral biasing devices, the lateral enclosure layer having a peripheral portion and an opening, a portion of the second side of the body interface layer positioned contiguous to the peripheral portion, and the spiral biasing devices substantially positioned in the opening; and 
 a stabilizing layer having a first side and a second side, the first positioned adjacent the second side of the core and having a density higher than the density of the lateral enclosed layer and the body interface layer, the spiral biasing devices and the peripheral portion of the lateral enclosure layer deforming more than the stabilizing layer when the body support device is in use, wherein:
 the first side of the body interface layer includes a curvilinear profile having an intermediate region and opposing first and second lateral regions, the intermediate region positioned between opposing first and second lateral regions and adjacent the plurality of spiral biasing devices, the first and second lateral regions positioned contiguous the peripheral portion of the lateral enclosure layer; 
 the intermediate region if the body interface layer includes a centermost portion and the curvilinear profile is substantially symmetric about the normal axis with an inflection point thereof occurring at the centermost portion, a thickness of the body interface layer diminishing as the profile thereof moves from the inflection point at the normal axis in opposing directions toward the first and second lateral ends; 
 the intermediate region of the body interface layer includes opposing first and second outer intermediate regions on opposing lateral sides of the centermost portion and being respectively thinner than the centermost portion, and 
 the plurality of spiral biasing devices includes a central row aligned with the normal axis and at least first and second outer rows on opposing lateral sides of the central row, the central row being positioned adjacent the centermost portion of the intermediate region of the body interface layer, and the first and second outer rows of the spiral biasing devices being respectively positioned adjacent the first and second outer intermediate regions of the body interface layer. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 13  wherein the spiral biasing devices contract and extend independently from each other during use, and the curvilinear profile of the body interface layer diminishes as the profile thereof moves from the inflection point at the normal axis in opposing directions toward the first and second lateral ends at a slope such that during use in reaction to the user's body exerting a force centered at the inflection point, a combination of the thickness of the body interface layer and the corresponding one of the central and first and second outer rows of spiral biasing devices produces a substantially constant pressure against the user's body. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 14  wherein the peripheral portion of the lateral enclosure layer deforms less than the plurality of the biasing devices when the device is in use.